Bismarck vs Lincoln
A side-by-side comparison of Bismarck and Lincoln: population, income, housing, and more.
Bismarck and Lincoln are places in North Dakota. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Bismarck has the higher population (74,146 vs 4,309 in Lincoln). Lincoln has the higher median household income ($83,387 vs $77,608 in Bismarck). Bismarck has the higher median home value ($291,400 vs $259,400 in Lincoln).
Population, income & housing
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 74,146 | 4,309 |
| Median age | 38.2 yrs | 30.5 yrs |
| Median household income | $77,608 | $83,387 |
| Median home value | $291,400 | $259,400 |
| Median gross rent | $992 | $1,222 |
| Housing units | 34,852 | 1,448 |
| Homeownership rate | 65.8% | 92.2% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.7% | 18.3% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 1.8% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 72,777 → 74,146 (+1.9%) | 3,703 → 4,309 (+16.4%) |
| Median household income | $64,444 → $77,608 (+20.4%) | $90,231 → $83,387 (-7.6%) |
| Median home value | $245,300 → $291,400 (+18.8%) | $238,200 → $259,400 (+8.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $867 → $992 (+14.4%) | $1,538 → $1,222 (-20.5%) |
Bismarck
72,77774,146
$64,444$77,608
$245,300$291,400
$867$992
Lincoln
3,7034,309
$90,231$83,387
$238,200$259,400
$1,538$1,222
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 5.6% | 14.6% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.3% | 19.9% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.0% | 6.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 21.2% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.3% | 10.0% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.0% | 13.1% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.8% | 5.6% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| 75 and over | 8.7% | 0.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 84.0% | 82.8% |
| Black or African American | 2.3% | 0.0% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 4.5% | 3.2% |
| Asian | 1.0% | 0.0% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Two or more races | 4.5% | 5.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 8.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 5.0% | 2.2% |
| High school graduate | 22.9% | 27.4% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.4% | 52.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 26.9% | 12.1% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 11.8% | 6.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 81.1% | 86.7% |
| Carpooled | 8.5% | 8.3% |
| Public transit | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Walked | 2.0% | 0.0% |
| Bicycle | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 7.0% | 4.0% |
| Other means | 0.8% | 0.6% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 47.2% | 82.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 10.6% | 4.5% |
| 2 to 4 units | 7.1% | 0.0% |
| 5 to 19 units | 11.1% | 1.2% |
| 20 or more units | 16.4% | 0.9% |
| Mobile home & other | 7.6% | 10.9% |
Poverty & households
| Bismarck | Lincoln | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 9.7% | 6.4% |
| Average household size | 2.23 | 3.08 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 15 | 21 |
| Median year structure built | 1984 | 2002 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — cities in North Dakota
- Most densely populated — cities in North Dakota
- Highest median household income — cities in North Dakota
- Highest median home value — cities in North Dakota
- Most affordable home values — cities in North Dakota
- Highest median gross rent — cities in North Dakota
- Cheapest median gross rent — cities in North Dakota
- Oldest by median age — cities in North Dakota
- Youngest by median age — cities in North Dakota
- Most college-educated — cities in North Dakota
- Highest poverty rate — cities in North Dakota
- Lowest poverty rate — cities in North Dakota
- Highest homeownership rate — cities in North Dakota
- Lowest homeownership rate — cities in North Dakota
- Longest commutes — cities in North Dakota
- Shortest commutes — cities in North Dakota
- Largest households — cities in North Dakota
- Newest housing — cities in North Dakota
- Oldest housing — cities in North Dakota
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — cities in North Dakota
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — cities in North Dakota